A list of DIY high resolution DLP 3D printers

Unlike the Fused Filament Fabrication (FFF) technology we usually see on Makerbots and repraps, new generation of hobbyist printer uses light-curing resin and a DLP projector to build 3D objects. These printers use Digital Light Projection technology which produces objects with incredibly fine detail.

How does it work? A DLP 3D printer utilize powerful DLP projector to shine onto a thin section of photo-initiated polymer resin. The result is a quick solid cure of the entire layer in one operation and each time a layer is cured a moveable bed is raised up in the Z Axis.

DLP is a much faster printing process that is capable of printing very high resolution models - each 0.1 mm thick needs about 8 seconds to cure.

Here are some DIY DLP 3D printers being developed by enthusiasts for early adopters.

B9Creator

Price: Starting at US$2,375(Kit), US$3,375 fully assembled

Michael Joyce, the designer of the B9Creator launched his Kickstarter campaign to help raise enough funds for first production run. He has raised US$513,423 of US$50,000 goal.

MiiCraft High Resolution 3D Printer from Taiwan features an automatic Resin Supply System that detects resin level and pump resin into the reaction tank. The MiiCraft uses a Pico DLP projector for the light source.

Build Size: 43 mm x 27 mm x 180 mm

Resolution: X-Y 0.056mm Z 0.1mm

Build Speed: 2 cm per hour

resin cost: US$250 per kg

Sedgwick

Price: US$495 (DLP projector not included)

Sedgwick is developed by Ron Light of Kansas City. It uses a regular DLP projector but it is not included in the standard kit. This design uses a top down approach which requires more resin but the mechanics of the printer are simpler.

Resolution: 0.1mm

Build size: 77 x 102 x 125mm

Build speed: up to 3 cm per hour

Resin: US$77-96 per kg

Lunavast XG2

This is an open source high resolution DIY DLP 3D printer kit with RepRap technologies. A projector with native XGA (1024 x 768 pixels) resolution and a normal lamp (NOT LED) is required separately.

One of pioneers in the development of a DIY DLP 3D printer is Junior Veloso (Singapore). He launched a project on the crowd funding platform indiegogo to raise money to mass produce this kit. However we haven't heard from him anymore since May.

Are we there yet? Will DLP 3D printers take over the market of FFF machines? DLP has the speed and resolution advantage however this systems has its downsides. Price of DLP 3D printers is much higher than other DIY 3D printer, and the cost of UV resins is much more expensive than plastic filament used in FFF 3D printers. At the moment it is still out of the range of most DIY 3D Printer folks.

Have you tested hosting the software on a Raspberry Pi like what they offer on nanoDLP.com?
I'm wondering if it's still capable to print in high performance

Dave wrote at 11/14/2014 4:52:10 AM:

I spent 900$ on my first 2d flatbed scanner. Now for $50 you can get a much higher resolution and faster model. Do you remember how colour printer prices dropped and the toner was the profit centre.
I think that is where we are now. This is still too expensive to be useful.
Robert your observation is absolutely correct. But there is reason to hope resins and filaments and printer prices will come down drastically. And faster than the technologies mentioned above. Nice to see higher resolution because the previous resolutions were so ridges as to be useless for my purposes.

Kevin Crist wrote at 1/8/2014 7:09:20 PM:

There is another printer that is not listed here that has been making a lot of people talk. and blowing away the resolutions listed here. if you look closely you can see the layers in the parts from all of these printers. However the DEEP IMAGER 5 by Elite ImageWorks with it's 25micron (.025mm) resolution can create parts that are sharper and more detailed than any other printer I've seen. They actually made a z scale railroad train signal light that has ladder rungs that are smaller than a human hair. The Deep Imager 5 made it's debut at the 2013 Maker-fair in NY by winning the road to Maker Fair challenge. It has a build platform of 254 X 177 X 254 and Retails for $12,500 US

DLP 3D printers are becoming cheaper (also the assembled ones), I hope more and more companies will jump in to develop more resins/materials and make these wonderful techniques available to everyone.

Robert Eastwood wrote at 10/8/2012 4:50:21 AM:

The cost of the Resin removes the functionality of the printer as a 'distributed manufacturing system'
One of the requirements for 'home printing' is for output object to be less or equal expensive as ordering and shipping, some part from some large manufacture, hence why working on cheaper filament for 3d extruder printers has been something many are working on.
For use as models in something like aluminum casting, those devices would be practical, if multiple items were being made, but the high resin cost removes its practicality of replacing centralized production with 3d home printing.
The resin price would have to come down dramatically for that to have a practical application in expanding 3d printing.
The quality is nice though, even if not practical, until resin price comes down.

Leave a comment:

Your Name:

Subscribe us to

About 3Ders.org

3Ders.org provides the latest news about 3D printing technology and 3D printers. We are now five years old and have around 1.5 million unique visitors per month.